03.20.24 Crane Opera Ensemble Outreach Performance

TheSongso LesMis(ish)

“Doyouhearthepeoplesing?” rom LesMisérables,musicandlyricsbyClaude-MichelSchönberg andAlainBoublil

- Soloist:HudsonSmith

“Tradition” rom FiddlerontheRoof ,musicbyJerryBock,lyricsbySheldonHarnick

“RumorinSt.Petersburg” rom Anastasia,musicandlyricsbyLynnAhrensandStephenFlaherty

- Soloists:MaddieD’ArcoandNataliaRomero

“Invisible” rom Beetlejuice,musicandlyricsbyEddiePerect

- Soloist:EmilyBuliung

“AllThatMatters” rom FindingNeverland,musicandlyricsbyGaryBarlowandEliotKennedy

- Soloist:GabbyMaresco

“SayItSomehow” rom TheLightinthePiazza,musicandlyricsbyAdamGuettel

- Soloists:MekaylaFountaineandEddieHayes

“ThreeLittle[Friends]”adapted rom TheMikado,musicandlyricsbyW.S.GilbertandArthur Sullivan

- Soloists:MekaylaFountaine,SophiaMura,andRebeccaGatto

“IFeelPretty” rom WestSideStory,musicandlyricsbyLeonardBernsteinandStephenSondheim

- Soloists:CatherineBoyd,GraceAustin,andRebeccaGatto

“UndertheSea” rom TheLittleMermaid ,musicandlyricsbyAlanMenkenandHowardAshman

- Soloist:BensonJovel-Truong

“BésameMucho”byConsueloVelázquez

- Soloists:RowanParsacaandMannyColeman

“Don’tStopBelievin’”byJourney(Perry,Schon,Cain)

- Soloists:AnyaSperanzaandJulesMast

“YouWillBeFound” rom DearEvanHansen ,musicandlyricsbyBenjPasekandJustinPaul

- Soloists:JohnCalandraandHannahSywulski

“ShowPeople” rom Curtains,musicandlyricsbyJohnKanderandFredEbb

- Soloists:GabbyMaresco,NateYauchzee,RowanParsaca,andLiamVanBuren

“Ex-Wives” rom Six,TheMusical ,musicandlyricsbyTobyMarlowandLucyMoss

- Soloists:HannahSywulski,AngelinaRubiano,JohannaHovanec,RowanParsaca,Antoinette Parisi,andKatKeegan

“DancingThroughLie” rom Wicked,musicandlyricsbyStephenSchwarzandWinnieHolzman

- Soloist:NoahDriscoll

“Astonishing” rom LittleWomen ,musicandlyricsbyJasonHowlandandMindiDickstein

- Soloist:HannahSywulski

“RightThisWay” rom Bandstand,musicandlyricsbyRichardOberackerandRobertTaylor, arrangedbyMitchellT.Gilly

- Soloists:JohnCalandra,EddieHayes,NoahDriscoll,HudsonSmith,andKameronKarim

“OneDayMore” rom LesMisérables

- Soloists:MannyColeman,JohnCalandra,EddieHayes,KenzieCaccamo,HannahSywulski, NateYauchzee,MadelineNokland,KameronKarim

Memberso theSpring2024CraneOperaEnsemble:

GraceAustin

CatherineBoyd

MatthewBridge

EmilyBuliung

LiamVanBuren

KenzieCaccamo

JohnCalandra

MannyColeman

MaddieD'Arco

NoahDriscoll

MekaylaFountaine

BeckyGatto

EddieHayes

JohannaHovanec

BensonJovel-Truong

KameronKarim

KatKeegan

RebekahLucia

GabbyMaresco

JulesMast

SophiaMura

TommyMurdock

MadelineNokland

AntoinetteParisi

RowanParsaca

NataliaRomero

AngelinaRubiano

AdamSheier

HudsonSmith

AnyaSperanza

HannahSywulski

SarahWestcott

NateYauchzee

Haveyoueverwonderedwhatgoesonbehindthescenesatadressrehearsal? LesMis(ish) provides auniquelookatthe un,and,attimes,seriousmomentscastmembersthroughthecourseo a rehearsalbreak.

Act1beginswithastudent’slatearrivalandtheannouncemento a5-minutebreaktoreset ora ullruno thedressrehearsal.Duringthe5-minutebreak,thetheatricalconcepto “suspendingthe disbelie ”is ullyengagedastheshortbreakispackedwithrumors,deeppersonalquestions, romance,memories,andcomradery.

Act2highlightsthemeso perseverance,musichistoryenthusiasm,auditionsuccess,anddreams o the uture.

AbouttheCraneOperaEnsemble

Theaward-winningCraneOperaEnsembleisasignifcantsource oroperaandmusictheatreinthe NorthCountryregiono NewYorkState.Theensembleprovidesexcitingopportunities orstudents toexperienceall acetso operaandmusicaltheaterperormanceandproductionthrough rehearsals,coaching,andclassesrelatedtoperormancepracticesandproductiontechniques.

COE’s2023productiono TheEnchantedPig byJonathanDoveandAlasdairMiddletonwon 1ST placeintheNationalOperaAssociationProductionCompetition.TheCraneOperaEnsembleis proudtohosttheDomenicJ.PellicciottiOperaCompositionCompetition,supportingnationallyrecognizedcomposersandlibrettistsevery ouryears.IntheFallo  2024,COEwillpremierethe winningwork, ComputingVenus,byTimothyTakachandCaitlinVincent.

Acknowledgements

TheCraneSchoolo Music

WilliamGibbons,Dean

DavidHeuser,AssociateDean

TomGrabowski,PerormingArtsFacilitiesManager

KarenMiller,BudgetingandSchedulingSecretary

NilsKlykken,Chairo VocalPerormanceDepartment

Thisweekendweareexcitedtopresenttoyouajukeboxmusical.Thistermistypicallyusedto describeashowthatisbuiltaroundselectedsongs romasinglecomposer,composer/lyricistteam, orotherthematicgroupingthatisallbroughttogetheraroundanarrativescript.Thisissimilarto the amiliargenreo themusicalrevue.Youmayhaveheardo someo thesekindso shows: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978), MammaMia (1999),ormorerecently, Beautiful:TheCaroleKingMusical (2013). Thejukeboxmusicalthatwewillperorm oryou, LesMis(ish) ,ascompiledbymy antastic colleague,isanextensiono ouroriginalintentiontospendasemesterworkshoppingmusical theatregenreswithourstudentsintheCraneOperaEnsemble.Youwillhearawidevarietyo styles, romoperettatomodernpopandrock.AttheCraneSchoolo Music,weareproudtooer vocalinstructionandperormanceopportunitiesthatspanavarietyo genres orthetrainingo the 21st centuryvocalartistandeducator.Forsomeo thesestudents,itistheirfrstexperience perorminginanon-classicalgenre.Forothers,thisis amiliarterritory.

Welook orwardtomoreproductionso music-theatricalworksinthe uturealongsidethe continuedtraditionso opera.ComingupnextintheFallo 2024,theCraneOperaEnsembleand OperaOrchestrawillpremiereanewopera, ComputingVenus byTimothyTakachandCaitlin Vincent,thewinnero the2024DomenicJ.PellicciottiOperaCompositionAward. ComputingVenus tellsastoryo thelieandworko astronomerMariaMitchell,oneo theearliest emalepioneerso scienceandSTEMeducationintheUnitedStates.Wehopeyouwilljoinus orthispremiere November1-3,2024intheSaraM.SnellMusicTheater.

Director’sNote

IthasbeenanhonortoworkwiththistalentedcastTheconcept or LesMis(ish) wasderived roma needtousepre-existingtheaterrepertoireyetrootedinadesiretogivestudentsanopportunityto participateina ully-stagedproduction.Muchtimewasspentinselectingtherepertoireandcrating simpledialoguetoprovidecontinuity romonesongintothenext.Thisproductionhasspecifcally beengearedtowardsthe amily-riendlyaudience.Oneo ourdesiresasmusiceducatorsisto encouragetheyoutho Americatoexploreandpursuetheirartistictalents.Onewaywehopeto encouragethelocalyouthisbyprovidingaproductionthatisaccessibletoavarietyo ages,whileat thesametimeproviding ood orthought ortheadultsintheaudience.

Pedagogically,theideao showingthebackstagehappeningsduringaproductionrehearsal providedanaturaland amiliarenvironment romwhichoursingerscouldbuildtheirpersonas.Due totheoriginalnatureo thisproduction,thecastareallplayingcharactersthatsharetheirname. Theonlythingmorechallengingthanplayinganunrelatablecharacterisplayingavariationo yoursel.

Thankyou orcomingandsupportingtheCraneOperaEnsemble!Ihopeyouenjoyouroriginal productiono LesMis(ish)!

ProductionStafBios:

KatieBurnham(StageDirector ) Dr. KatieBurnhamisaclassicallytrainedsoprano, originally romtheMidwest,knownto"enthrallthecrowd".SheholdsdegreesinVocal Perormance romShenandoahConservatory(DMA),theChicagoCollegeo PerormingArts (MM)andBradleyUniversity(BM).Asaperormershehasperormednationallyand internationallywiththeAdirondackPerormingArtsFellowship,theMaggieOhstrom-Bryant concertseries,ChicagoCollegeo PerormingArts,ShepherdUniversity,PeoriaMunicipal Band,andBradleyUniversity.Inadditiontoclassicalmusic,Katieenjoyssingingand exploringmusicaltheaterstyles.

AndrewVoelker(MusicDirector) VocalcoachandpianistAndrewVoelkerbringsmorethan twelveyearso experienceasaperormer,musicdirector,andeducatortoSUNYPotsdam. Andrewisindemandasavocalcoach,specializinginlyricdictionandcontemporaryscore analysis.Theyholddegreesinpianoandvoice romNorthernIllinoisUniversity,the ClevelandInstituteo Music,andIndianaUniversity(DM,ABD).WhileservingasAssociate Instructoro CollaborativePianoatIndianaUniversityJacobsSchoolo Music,theycoached productionso LenozzediFigaro,Latraviata,LittleWomen,Serse, and L'Incoronazionedi Poppea.Inthespringo 2023,Andrewassistedinpreparingvocalroles orthepremiere productiono ShulamitRanandCharlesKondek'sopera AnneFrank.Andrewalsospentthree yearsasthemusicdirector orthegraduateoperaworkshopdirectedbyinternationally renownedsopranoHeidiGrantMurphy.

JonDaniels(LightingDesigner) JonwasbornandraisedinPotsdam,NY.Heisgrateul or theopportunitytobeparto hisfrstproductionatCrane,thoughheisnostrangertothe lightingbooth.Hecurrentlyservesasthelightingdirector ortheArtsProgramo NNYand hasoveradecadeo experiencedesigninglighting.Someo his avoriteproductionstobe parto haveincluded AChristmasCarol and JosehandtheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat.

JoshMcGrath(AssistantLightingDirector ) Agraduateo theCraneSchoolo Music,Josh holdsdegreesinPianoPerormanceandMusicHistory&Theory.Hailing romPotsdam,heis nostrangertothetheater.HehasappearedinshowssuchasFiddlerontheRoo (2X),Pirates o Penzance,Cinderella,JosephandtheTechnicolorDreamcoat,AChristmasCarol(2X),and SevenBrides orSevenBrothers.TodayJoshworksasanonproftmarketingconsultantand isco-hosto theArdentPursuitPodcast.

JamesWWildman(SoundEngineer)

Internationallyinthefeldso opera,balletanddrama,JamesWildmanhasworkedwith: AlredWopmano theViennaStateOpera,FrancoFerrariso LaScala,AndeAndersono CoventGarden.Hisdesigncreditsincludeproductionswith:JoshBrolin,CarolBurnett, SandyDuncan,GregoryPeck,LeoniRysenik,BobbyShort,MarloThomas,EliWallach,Diane Wiest,JohnWilliams,AnthonyZerbeandJoanneWoodward.

HisdesignshaveappearedintheUSAinnumerousregionaltheatresandonBroadway.His workisalsoincludedintheNationalTheatreArchiveatLincolnCenterinNewYork.

JacobFrenyea( AssistantDirector) isexcitedtobejoiningtheCraneOperaEnsembleonce again ortheirspringproduction.Anativeo Johnstown,Jacobspendshissummers collaboratingwithartists romBroadwayandbeyondtomountproductionsatthehistoric Proctor’sTheaterinSchenectady,NewYork.Whenheisnotworkingbehindthescenes, Jacobpursueshislove orperorming,someo hisnotablerolesinclude,“Mr.Northwind” rom“TheEnchantedPig”,“GomezAddams” rom“TheAddamsFamily”&“The Bishop/Ensemble”in“LesMisérables”.Thankyou,Dr.BurnhamandProessorVoelker, or thisamazingopportunity.Enjoytheshow!